BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Texas A&M Aggies were picked to finish second in the SEC Western Division and placed a league-high five players on the preseason All-SEC first and second teams, per a release from league officials Thursday morning.
Texas A&M is one of five teams to pick up first-place votes from the league’s head coaches. LSU received 12 votes to take the top spot in the Western Division, while the Aggies and reigning national champion Ole Miss each received one. Defending SEC champion Tennessee got 12 nods to take the East Division crown and Florida garnered two.
The Aggies were also one of four teams to receive a vote for the overall SEC title, along with LSU (11), Florida (1) and Ole Miss (1).
Meanwhile, junior first baseman Jack Moss was named to the preseason All-SEC first team while Ryan Targac (2B), Austin Bost (DH/UTL), Trevor Werner (3B) and Brett Minnich (OF) were each named to the second team.
The five total selections were the most of any program, followed by four choices each for LSU and Tennessee and three players from Florida.
Moss enters 2023 coming off a breakout debut season with the Aggies which saw him lead the SEC with 103 total hits. He earned his way onto the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region team, along with being named the MVP of the College Station Regional.
A freshman All-America selection in 2021 at Arizona State before coming to Aggieland, Moss finished 2022 hitting a team-best .380 with six home runs, 50 runs scored and 49 RBI. He was named to the preseason All-America teams for the 2023 season by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
A versatile part to the Aggie attack, Targac was the SEC’s second-team second baseman a year ago and is one of four Aggie position players on the preseason second team. The switch hitter from Hallettsville, Texas, was an intimidating power piece in 2022, hitting for a .294 average and finishing second on the team with 16 home runs and 58 RBI.
For Bost, the honor only adds to his list of preseason accolades which includes being named a preseason All-American by both the NCBWA and D1Baseball.com. It also comes after being named to the All-SEC second team as a DH/Utility player in 2022 when he hit a career-best .360 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI and 14 doubles in 63 games for the Aggies.
Werner was also named to the second team following a 2022 season which saw him only scratch the surface of his potential at the plate, hitting seven home runs and driving in 29 in only 36 games. He closed out the season strong with multi-hit games in six of the final 12 games of the year, including going 2-for-4 with a home run to help the Aggies stave off elimination at the College World Series with a win over Notre Dame.
Minnich is also coming off a massive season of his own and was one of only three Aggies to play in, and start, all 64 games in 2022. The left-handed hitting outfielder hit .306 for the year with seven home runs and 15 doubles. His 51 RBI were the third-highest total on the Aggie roster, while his 41 walks ranked in the top 10 in the entire SEC.
The Aggies open the season on Friday, Feb. 17 at Blue Bell Park vs Seattle U.
2023 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Eastern Division
1. Tennessee (12) – 90
2. Florida (2) – 79
3. Vanderbilt – 64
4. South Carolina – 51
5. Georgia – 48
6. Kentucky – 34
7. Missouri – 19
Western Division
1. LSU (12) – 88
2. Texas A&M (1) – 69
3. Arkansas – 68
4. Ole Miss (1) – 64
5. Alabama – 34
6. Auburn – 33
7. Mississippi State – 29
SEC Champion: LSU (11), Florida (1), Ole Miss (1), Texas A&M (1)
() – First place votes
2023 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: BT Riopelle, Florida
1B: Jack Moss, Texas A&M
2B: Peyton Stovall, Arkansas
3B: Luke Mann, Missouri
SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Wyatt Langford, Florida
DH/UTL: Tommy White, LSU
SP: Chase Dollander, Tennessee
SP: Chase Burns, Tennessee
RP: Brady Tygart, Arkansas
Second Team
C: Luke Hancock, Mississippi State
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Ryan Targac, Texas A&M
3B: Trevor Werner, Texas A&M
SS: Maui Ahuna, Tennessee
OF: Connor Tate, Georgia
OF: Brett Minnich, Texas A&M
OF: Colton Ledbetter, Mississippi State
DH/UTL: Austin Bost, Texas A&M
SP: Carter Holton, Vanderbilt*
SP: Hurston Waldrep, Florida*
SP: Paul Skenes, LSU*
RP: Camden Sewell, Tennessee
*Ties
Credit to 12thman.com